21 of the most iconic tv show theme songs ever

Netflix might have that "skip intro" button now, but there are some TV show theme songs you just don't want to miss. If you've ever sung along to the Friends theme or danced like a muppet while watching Law & Order: SUV, you know that some intros are just plain iconic. There are even cases of what I'll call TV theme inception—a famous TV theme song being sung on a show that has its own famous theme. Just wait. You'll see what I mean.

Below, check out 21 of the most iconic TV theme songs of all time, from classic shows, to current hit series, to one very popular aardvark.

Friends

The Friends theme song, "I'll Be There for You" by the Rembrandts, is one of the most recognizable TV theme songs of all time. There's no mistaking what you're watching when you hear "So no one told you life was going to be this way *clap clap clap clap*."

The Office

The upbeat Office theme was composed by Jay Ferguson. Fun fact: He also plays a member of Kevin's band, Scrantonicity.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

"Now this is a story all about how my life got flip turned upside down..." Yeah, you know the words. We all do.

Full House 

Now for the TGIF portion of the list, which was pretty hard to narrow down to just two. First, we have the theme from Full House, "Everywhere You Look." Can't you just picture the cast driving through San Francisco in that convertible?

Family Matters

Second, we have the Family Matters opening song "As Days Go By." It was written by Jesse Frederick, the same person who wrote "Everywhere You Look." The guy knows a catchy theme song.

The O.C.

Not every theme song is written specifically for the show it's on. The O.C. is a good example of this. "California" by Phantom Planet was already a song, the series just made it a classic. It still slaps, FYI!

The Golden Girls

That TV theme inception I was talking about? The Golden Girls theme song is so great that characters on The O.C. sang it, too.

The Jeffersons

The Jeffersons theme song tells you exactly what you need to know about the show: They're "Movin' on Up" to the east side.

The Simpsons

Danny Elfman's opening theme for The Simpsons has been playing on TV for the show's 30-plus seasons. So, yeah, it reached iconic status long ago.

Arthur

There are a lot of memorable theme songs from kids shows, but "Believe in Yourself" from Arthur is, as they say, a bop. It's performed by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, a band consisting of Bob Marley and Rita Marley's children.

Gilmore Girls

"Where You Lead" is a 1971 song by Carole King, but it was re-recorded by King and her daughter, Louise Goffin, with some of the lyrics changed so it would fit the series.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

If you've watched Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, this song has been stuck in your head. "They alive, dammit! It's a miracle!"

Mad Men

The Mad Men theme song is "A Beautiful Mine" by RJD2. And if you can't get enough of it, you'll be glad to know that the full version is five and a half minutes long.

Living Single

The Living Single theme song is by one of the series' stars: Queen Latifah. It might not be a '90s kind of world anymore, but being glad you got your girls is timeless.

Dawson's Creek

"I Don't Want to Wait" by Paula Cole plays while the Dawson's Creek cast frolic around in the opening credits. Unfortunately, Cole's feelings about the show aren't so carefree.

Game of Thrones

The appropriately epic Game of Thrones theme is composed by Ramin Djawadi, who won two Emmys for his work on the show.

Law & Order

If dancing Kermit can groove to it, it's gotta be good.

Good Times

And the winner for the show's title being said the most times in the theme song goes to... Good Times!

Succession

Nicholas Britell's intense theme song for Succession is very meme-able.

Sex and the City

Sex and the City creator Darren Star told Entertainment Weekly that before the show was popular, he used to drive around Los Angeles playing the theme song to see if anyone recognized it.

Cheers

Sometimes you want a song, where everybody knows the words.

Photographs: Katie Buckleitner/HBO

This article originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com in June 2020.

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